Paid 'Blue Checks' Head to Instagram For Suckers Like Andrew

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk! In some airline news, the Justice Department is suing to stop the planned Jet Blue/Spirit Airlines merger, and multiple airlines are ditching fees charged for families trying to sit together. Seemingly inspired by Elon Musk's moves at Twitter, Meta will soon be offering "Meta Verified:" aka paying $15 a month for the coveted Blue Check. Why is the Blue Check so desirable for some? Are there any cases where wanting one is warranted? If everyone can pay a monthly fee to be verified, does being verified lose its meaning? It's time for some unpopular opinions: we're inspired by a (now deleted) tweet, which asserts that most nonfiction books are unreadable. We have some hot takes of our own: your phone should be silent most of the time, being an "empath" isn't a thing, and airlines should get rid of the reclining functionality on all economy seats. In light (lol) of Daylight Savings Time returning in a few short days, Laura delivers her yearly gripe about how stupid changing the clocks 2x a year is. Will attempts at a permanent DST bill die in the House again this year? Probably. Though some of us would love a little more sunlight in the evenings, experts warn that a permanent switch to Standard time would likely be better for our health. This week's recommendations are mostly practical, with a little entertainment sprinkled in: Digital temperature readers (Andrew), 'Bass Reeves: No Master But Duty’ (Laura), and AHC Natural Perfection Sunscreen Stick (Pam).  And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: What tragic event were we all obsessed with as kids? Titanic is the obvious answer for many millennials, but we have a treasure trove of morbid interests. The history, politics, and horrific assassination of the Romanov family, and subsequent mystery of Anastasia. How an interest in the Oregon Trail led Pam to an obsession with the Donner Party. Andrew has always been obsessed with water: the Johnstown Flood of 1889. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices